Miss Teacher
by akamai
Summary: It wasn’t that he hated Haruno Sakura...he just strongly believed that she was wasting her time. But when Sasuke becomes part of her summer class on medical jutsus, he learns that wasting time with a fully bloomed Sakura has its advantages. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Yeah...I don't own it. D:

**Summary: **It wasn't that he hated Haruno Sakura; he just strongly believed that she was wasting her time. But when Sasuke becomes part of her summer class on medical jutsus, he learns that wasting time with a fully bloomed Sakura has its advantages. Rated T for language in later chapters.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Things are different now, but he can clearly remember the slight distaste he felt when watching her that day.

Lurking in the shadows, Sasuke looked out the window and observed the two girls wandering around the exterior of his home: The blonde was being loud and boisterous, which was not a surprise to Sasuke. She carelessly waved a slip of paper around as she eagerly addressed her friend. Definitely confident in whatever she and Sakura were up to, Ino wasted no time to march up to the Uchiha's front door. Sasuke's displeased expression deepened at her action, but his demeanor unconsciously calmed as he watched Sakura nervously watch her friend's back.

Sakura held a nail and hammer, presumably for the note in Ino's hand. Obviously, her friend's pep talk did not work. Shuffling the hammer in her hand and occasionally dropping the nail, she looked as if she was on the verge of running. Sakura warily scanned the surrounding area, her emerald eyes shimmering. Her skittish behavior was clearly apparent; she nervously looked over her shoulder as if he, angry and unforgiving, would appear at any second. Thus, it was only inevitable when her eyes fell on his window.

Her eyes seemed to immediately bore into his although he was standing in pitch black. Sasuke stared back, unsure if their eyes were really meeting or not. Her expression held a certain curiosity; perhaps a reluctant one, and Sasuke scrutinized her some more to gauge what she was thinking.

Ino called her name and after a moment more of gazing Sakura blinked and unlocked her eyes from the object she was observing. Realizing that he was much to close to the window, Sasuke swore and took a step back, hoping she was not able to decipher that she was being watched.

Slightly annoyed, Ino marched up to an unmoving Sakura and took the utensils from her friend's grip. She lightly laughed at Sakura's expression and Sakura gave a strong, but false one in return. Stillness betided, and then a sudden banging occurred outside of his door. The two girls laughed once more until Sakura coughed and said something inaudible. She wasted no time to pull her girl friend away from the compound.

Sasuke watched the two girls disappear off of his property and onto the less dreary parts of Konoha. He waited a few moments in silence until he found himself walking to his front door. He aggressively swung his door open and sought out the seemingly important note.

'_It could be anything'_ Sasuke thought, as he ripped the small piece of paper from the nail. He hatched a mental picture of her edginess and blatant lack of enthusiasm and suddenly felt engulfed in his own anxiety.

'_A love note…?'_

"No," he muttered to himself, dispelling his theory. She was older and modest, he had to admit. She would never do such a thing, even if she…

Sasuke quickly read the contents, searching for something of importance. However, his eyes darkened as he got further into the message.

Not long after reaching the last word, Sasuke coolly crumpled the small paper into the palm of his hand. He let his fist fall to his side as he looked towards the path the girls used to depart.

It was for her sake, he decided. One must be incredibly naïve and dense to think he, Uchiha Sasuke, would even consider taking a medical jutsu class. It was unheard of.

One must be a Haruno Sakura; however, he reminded himself, to actually invite him to the class.

ooo

_The day he was discharged from the hospital, she showed up at his door. _

_She was wearing a velvety red kimono, so petite and ideal that it looked custom made. Sasuke could tell it was not worn because of him, but he could not completely dispel his negativity. She gave him a lone daffodil, after all, and did not seem to care if he merely set it on the table. An awkward silence passed until she cracked._

"_It's nice," she softly told him, "that you're back."_

_Sasuke said nothing, not even a grunt as he avoided her gaze. When he looked at her he could see a certain familiar longing that annoyed him. To her, it wasn't merely nice that he was back. It was wonderful; beyond words._

_Because she was in love with him. _

_Or so he liked to think. _

_Sakura folded her arms and took a deep breath, trying to regain her confidence. Right after he came back, she was completely different. She laughed and talked to him about how angry or happy she was to see him, and often affectionately kissed and stroked his face when she thought he was asleep. Because she had waited for that day so long, those days he was in the hospital felt like a dream, some type of utopia._

_Now they had reached the aftermath. _

_Sakura wasn't as self-assured and talkative as Naruto, so she racked her mind for subjects to talk about. _

'_How's the weather in Sound?' she thought, while immediately shaking her head afterwards. _

"_What was it like," she would possibly begin, "to kill your brother?"_

"_Sasuke-kun," she murmured, forgetting her possible topics and taking his hand. "I'm so happy that you're back." She suddenly laughed at the not so special choice of words and Sasuke tried to ignore her contagious blush. "I know I told you a thousand times, but you're my friend. And, I—"_

"_I know."_

_Sakura hopelessly looked up at him, slight irritation and grief welling up within her. "Right," she mumbled. "Right."_

_He ignored her for the rest of the day, hoping that she would, smart as she was supposed to be, take a hint and leave. Sakura eventually did, but not without another word. She wasn't as nervous as initially and Sasuke wondered if it was his prolonged rudeness that made her easily talk back. _

"_I still love you," she told him as she nostalgically smiled and moved an annoying strand of hair from her eyes, "but I'm not sorry if you don't feel the same way."_

_Since then he avoided her, skulking in the darkness of his apartment and all. _

ooo

Sitting on the floor of her room, Sakura nervously read the printed flyer in her hand for the umpteenth time: once as herself, another time as a complete stranger, and many times as Uchiha Sasuke.

_Ever wanted to quickly heal yourself after those troublesome missions?_

_Ever wanted to become more useful and protect your teammates?_

_Ever wanted to give your local medic nins a break?_

_Then take the medical jutsu class this summer and learn the basics of medical jutsus from two already established and knowledgeable young women: Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. No payment required!_

_Contact Miss Haruno or Miss Yamanaka for more information._

Sakura winced. It sounded so tacky.

"I don't know what your problem is," Ino whined as she shuffled a pile of new flyers on her friend's bed. "I thought you liked him. We can't give a flyer to _everyone_ in Konoha but him."

"I can't believe we did that," Sakura responded. "I can't believe you let me talk into this!"

"It was your idea to invite him!"

"Still," Sakura muttered, "Sasuke-kun? He rarely leaves his home, even to train. So why would he come to a class taught by us?"

"It's worth trying," Ino mumbled. A mischievous grin suddenly appeared on her face and Sakura raised her brow. "Don't tell me you're scared of him."

Sakura gave a humorless laugh, remembering past encounters with Sasuke. If she could deal with Sasuke, she could deal with anyone. "I'm not."

Rejection was the problem, but it would be a cold day in hell before she admitted that to Ino.

Ino sighed as she proudly looked at her new stack of papers. Just as informative, just as cheesy. "Great!" Ino chirped. "I have enough for the other side of the village. Maybe another one for Sasuke-kun." She winked. "Want to come?"

"No," Sakura muttered as Ino walked out of the room.

"Besides," she quietly added as she bitterly combed through the ends of her tousled hair. "I know he'll never come."

* * *

**Author's Note:** No, I'm not abandoning my other story. Yes, I know I was just complaining about updating fics and how they feel like chores. I'm obviously a masochist, okay?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reviews and story alerts. I know where I'm going with this fic, but bear with me if I don't update for a while. I also wanted to say that even though the title is "Miss Teacher" they still use -sensei. I just didn't want to title the fanfic, "Sakura-sensei."

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**Chapter Two**

Detached, but curious, Shikamaru carefully read the advertisement in the blonde's hand. His close proximity annoyed Ino, but it was his words that really hit home.

"Teaching a class?" he asked, shaking his head. "How old are you again…sixteen?"

Ino huffed. "So are you!"

Hinata hesitantly held her arm as she examined Ino's stack of papers. She walked out of earshot from Ino and tapped her teammate on the shoulder. "I—Is this class required?" she whispered to Kiba.

Kiba yawned and cracked his knuckles, squinting at the worthless paper before him. "Hmph. I hope not. I already graduated from the academy four years ago!"

"You should make people pay money anyway," Shikamaru apathetically suggested. "Why go through all that trouble for free?"

"Enough with the advice," Ino growled. "Don't you have a girlfriend to see? You know, instead of criticizing everything?"

Kiba grinned, his own idea registering to him. "Now hold on Ino. He has a point…"

"You." Ino pointed at Kiba. "Be quiet."

Losing interest in the obnoxious protests, Sakura turned away from the group. She had done her fair share of arguing with the objectors until she realized she was better off reasoning with a brick wall.

As if on cue, Sakura's rejection of the dispute caused her to notice Konoha's own living brick wall inside the ramen stand. Upon hearing his voice, she moved a bit closer for a better view to make out what he was doing.

Sasuke was speaking with Naruto—more like listening as the talkative blonde rambled incoherently about something—and seemed somewhat at ease. Sakura was surprised, not because of the blatant contentment on the Uchiha's visage, but at the fact he wasn't in his home brooding.

She watched them together; clearly akin to watching two opposite, yet loving brothers. Naruto often made backhand comments to insult Sasuke, but he eagerly anticipated what they would do tomorrow. Although he probably did not care about whatever his friend was babbling about, Sasuke intently listened to Naruto. Every once in a while he would slightly smirk, something Sakura hadn't had the pleasure of seeing in a while. Years, even.

She bit her lip as she felt nostalgia and jealously bubble up within her. Sometimes she wanted give anything to have that effect on Sasuke.

Sasuke's head shifted, and Sakura vigorously blinked an attempt to hide her gaze towards the austere boy. Although her conscious was screaming for her not to, she snuck a peek back in the boys' general direction. Naruto was suddenly gone, and his departure resulted in Sakura's eyes only meeting onyx ones. Filled with chagrin, as usual. Sakura flushed, wondering whether to return a stare with just as much malice or pretend the whole encounter never happened. However, she was never able to make up her mind; she suddenly heard Naruto's loud voice right beside her.

"Eh? What's going on?" he asked, interrupting the argument between the other ninjas.

"Ino and Sakura are trying to make us take another class," Kiba nonchalantly responded. "But I'm not taking it."

"Oi? Another class?"

Ino scowled, her hand balling into a fist. At this, Sakura was glad Ino didn't have the strength she had. There would surely be many casualties to follow. "Can't you all read?" Ino asked, for the umpteenth time, "You don't have to take the class!"

But Naruto still ignored her, flailing his arms about. "Another class!" he repeated, grabbing tufts of his hair. "This better not be the academy all over again!" Looking into the distance, his eyes fell on a higher authority and he quickly scampered towards her.

"Tsunade baa-chan! Why are you making us take another clas—"

The Hokage put her hand up, cutting Naruto off. From the vexed expression on her face, she had probably gotten the same response from other ninjas. She wanted silence, and when some still griped, she commanded them: "Quiet! All of you!"

Once she had their attention, Tsunade sighed and put her hands on her hips. She glared at each and everyone except for Sakura and Ino, who no doubt had her approval. "For the last time, you don't have to take the class. It'd be wise to," she suggested, shamelessly adding her biased opinion, "but no one's forcing you to take it.

"Besides," she lightly added, "the class will probably be full of little genin girls anyway."

"Thanks, Hokage-sama," Ino darkly muttered.

"Well in that case, I'm definitely not coming," Shikamaru said. A gave long yawn, waved, and proceeded to walk away. "See you all later."

"Hold it," Tsunade called to him. "We're searching today."

Shikamaru stopped in his tracks and everyone groaned. At the Hokage's announcement, Sakura made sure not to accidentally glance in Sasuke's direction.

Once a month, the higher authorities had decided all ninjas were to be searched for connections to enemy villages. Be it from genins to jounins, everyone had to be searched. The regulation was put in effect the week after Sasuke had returned to Konoha, but Tsunade strongly asserted it had nothing to do with him.

Sakura sighed._ See what you've done…?_

The teenagers reluctantly emptied out their pockets and acquiesced to the Hokage's orders. Much whining and two searches later, the majority of the crowd departed. Even though he would never admit it, it was only natural that Sasuke was going to feel awkward after seeing the examination. After a moment of contemplation Sakura reluctantly decided to talk with Sasuke for good measure. She sat on the stool next to Sasuke, and although he did not initially acknowledge her presence, he was intrigued when she spoke.

"Hey."

Sasuke gave a slight nod.

"I noticed you're not at the compound today…I'm guessing you finally needed a little fresh air?"

"No."

A moment passed, and Sasuke faltered, noticing the kunoichi eying him. Her face glazed with familiarity after his short response, but a brief melancholy expression soon after led Sasuke to discover that her original appearance was a fluke. He watched Sakura put her hands on her knees and lean forward as she began to scrutinize his curled hand and Sasuke shoved his fist into his pocket, dismissing the action.

"What's wrong with your hand?" she inevitably asked.

"Nothing."

"No, not 'nothing'. You're injured."

"Aa." He was injured, and really tired of it at that.

"Here," she said, gently opening his palm. Sasuke's eyes widened at her touch, but he soon relaxed and aided her action by spreading out his fingers. Without much force, Sakura rubbed a now visible splinter on his palm. She reached into her pouch and Sasuke squeezed her thumb, halting her.

"What are you doing?" Suspicion graced his features, and Sakura made a mental note to remind herself of Sasuke's disdain for her. It was only natural that he wouldn't really want her touching him. Sakura drew her hand away. "Sorry."

"What are you doing?" he asked again, but for another reason.

"You can try taking it out when you go home," she blandly suggested. "It's not that hard to—"

"No," Sasuke loudly protested, causing Sakura's to jump. He frowned, mentally chastising himself at his childish objection. Sakura's brows were raised, causing him to sigh in response. "No," he repeated, softer this time. "You…just take it out."

Without hesitation, Sakura took his hand again and commenced the procedure once more. "Calm down," she amusingly soothed him as she rummaged through her pouch with her free hand. "This will be quick…"

After a moment of futile searching, Sakura scowled as she remembered leaving her medical supplies at home. With a click of her tongue and a shrug, she decided to settle with the next best thing.

Sasuke quietly waited for her next movement, but his calm expression soon contorted once he saw the object in Sakura's other hand. Sasuke's eyes followed the utensil disapprovingly, but a worse expression graced his face when he saw what she was doing.

Sakura slowly placed the kunai near his palm, slightly puncturing the splinter. She smiled. "Almost there. I—"

Immediately, Sasuke slapped her hand away, leaving the weapon to clatter beneath their feet. Expression darkening, he instantly stood and cursed at the sight of his now trembling hand.

"Where's Kakashi?" he immediately growled, holding his unsettled hand.

"Hold on," Sakura commanded him, worry and confusion engulfing her visage. She stood and reached out to his hand, but he quickly pulled away from her. Sakura's brow furrowed. "What's going on—?"

"Just tell me where he is."

Sakura gaped at him. Taking in his urgent expression in consideration, she spoke to him the best she could. "He's…he's at his apartment."

Sakura slowly sunk back into her seat as she watched Sasuke mutter something under his breath and briskly leave the ramen stand. Ignoring bystanders' curious glances, she carefully picked up the kunai from the ground and watched Sasuke's already disappearing figure.

"Sasuke-kun," she finally muttered, "it's just a kunai."

_'Well,' _she thought, with a wave of relief,_ 'at least he didn't mention the flyer.'_

ooo

"It's happening again."

Hastily closing his crude novel, Kakashi turned to his window to acknowledge the low voice that had interrupted him. Without hesitation, he beckoned for Sasuke to enter through the front door and the two males eventually seated themselves. Sasuke grudgingly presented his trembling hand while Kakashi merely inspected it.

"Why didn't you ask Sakura to help you?" he dully asked. "She's the medic."

"She's the one who caused it," Sasuke growled. "She put the freaking kunai on my hand in the first place."

Kakashi sat back, amusement clearly playing on his lips, although covered. "And you've never held a kunai?"

"This isn't funny," Sasuke told him. He stared icily at his hand as he frowned in contemplation. "You know what I mean. It's been this way since…"

Kakashi nodded. "Ah."

"I can't spar with anyone or train," Sasuke told him, fuming. "I can barely look at my weapons. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"It's probably guilt," Kakashi responded. "I told you revenge—"

Sasuke waved his hand, dismissing the elder man. An abstract pain briefly glazed over his eyes, but he closed them to shake the feeling away. "It's over, alright?" he told Kakashi in a terse tone. "He's dead."

At this response, Kakashi's expression was neutral. He expected it, of course; Sasuke never really liked to talk about his "accomplishment." He studied Sasuke with his free eye for a moment, but ultimately shrugged and vacillated topics for the boy's sake.

"I see you're not at the compound today," he drawled. "Will it be the same tomorrow?"

"I'm planning on going to Naruto's," Sasuke quietly confessed, evading Kakashi's amused gaze. "He wouldn't leave me alone," he clarified soon after.

"Did you know Naruto is planning on taking Ino and Sakura's class tomorrow?"

Sasuke glared absentmindedly, folding his hands as his hand began to cease quivering. "Naruto?" he inquired, puzzled. "I thought he didn't want to take it."

Kakashi shook his head. "He just came by here and said he's taking it. I don't think he can help himself though...Sakura's one of the teachers," he added, a matter-of-factly. "Either way…it seems to be really beneficial."

"That's what the Hokage claimed."

"But shouldn't we believe her?"

Sasuke scowled, remembering the searches from earlier in the day. He fully could not wait until a new Hokage was in power, as she was driving him up the wall.

"I don't think so," he strictly responded.

"I do," Kakashi told him. "Ino and Sakura are doing something that not many people are willing to do. They're sharing skills that make them special and what makes them stand out from others."

The gray haired jounin rubbed his chin, and after a moment of staring at Sasuke's hand he stood from and went to another room. When he returned, he was accompanied with a pair of tweezers and a tissue.

"It focuses on what helps people," he continued, effortlessly plucking out Sasuke's splinter with his tweezers, "not what hurts people." He cleared his throat. "Maybe you should go."

Sasuke scoffed, appalled. He had absolutely _nothing_ to learn from her. Nothing that really mattered.

Ignoring Kakashi, he flexed his hand and rubbed the spot where a scar would soon appear. He stood from his chair, but gave his sensei a cynical grin before turning.

"Hn," he offhandedly replied. "So those are the lies you feed people to take that class."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Eh, sorry SasuSaku seems really negative right now. As expected, things will change. Just takin' it slow and steady. Sasuke just came back from living in Otogakure of all places, y'know. He's not really going to be that eager for romance. Hopefully the next chapter of OTC will be up tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **I'm going to say this now. As there will be SasuSaku, there will be SakuIno friendship as well. I'm also going to ask people reading my other story not to kill me. I don't have writer's block, it's just that chapter 13 has been the hardest chapter to write (so far). I'm working on it little by little and I want to make it good. Thanks for the reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Sakura hastily departed her home, gripping her bag full of textbooks in one hand and combing through her hair once more with another. Ino, who was holding a couple of texts, looked at her in contempt. Battling an emerging smile, Sakura ignored the expression. She was sure Ino was just jealous of her rival's striking preparation. After a moment of artificial compliments, the two girls headed into the quiet evening.

The time of day was eventless in Konoha, but beneficial for their class. The day was always hectic: academy classes took place, businesses were bustling, and ninjas were quickly admitted out of Konoha on missions. The night, although calmer, was not very different from its counterpart. People were up and about during the night for both entertainment and for the safety of their close nit village.

Although known for being young extroverts, the girls did not speak. It wasn't that they intended to shun each other; there just really wasn't anything else to talk about. They had become friends again, but their rivalry often continued to overshadow their friendship. As for the class, they were certain they had it all figured out. It would take place twice a week in the evening, just a few hours after the academy classes concluded. Since there was two of them, one would be able to take over while the other went on missions. But that was exactly the problem—there were two of them.

"There's two of us," Ino informed Sakura as they finally approached the building, a cunning smile masking her lips. "Two of us."

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "So?"

"So," Ino began, her tone suddenly filled with smug disinterest. "That means one of us will have to be the teacher…and the other person will have to be the assistant."

Without a moment's hesitation, Sakura stopped in her tracks and threateningly scrutinized Ino. The clever kunoichi was unaffected: she leaned against the side of the large building and began to comb miniscule specks of dirt from her seemingly flawless blonde hair. Contently sighing when finished, Ino smugly smiled at Sakura. "Have you registered what I said yet?"

"Yes," Sakura brightly answered, feeling egoistical herself. "I'll be the teacher," she explained, pointing a slender finger towards herself, "and you'll be the assistant. It all works out in the end!"

Ino frowned.

"Like hell you will."

"Come _on_," Sakura groaned as she gripped her bag to her chest. She leaned on the wall next to Ino and the latter huffed and moved slightly in the opposite direction. "Last night when I was answering people's questions about the class, you were too busy picking out what to wear."

"You were with me," Ino pointed out. "So quit being so cocky and taking the credit for everything."

"I'm only telling the truth," Sakura coolly responded.

Ino raised her brow and observed her nails, hiding an eye-roll. "Whatever it takes to make you feel better."

Sakura quickly spun towards the other girl, a shaky finger suddenly pointing at the culprit. "You know what—"

Sakura suddenly halted and forcefully bit her lip in defeat. Her outstretched index finger shrunk in, and with the rest of her hand she carelessly waved. No matter how friendly Ino and Sakura managed to act towards each other, they knew something like this would happen. It was disheartening, as some even claimed they would avoid the class because they knew Ino and Sakura would have a falling out. Sakura was determined not to fight with this girl, her _partner_. So, heaving slowly, she made a proposition.

"Fine then. How about we alternate positions each class?"

Ino gave a short laugh. "Whatever you say, Sakura-chan."

Both girls leaned off of the wall and proceeded into the building. It had been ages since the two of them had entered the academy, but they still knew which rooms held each class in the monstrous building. They walked down the quiet halls without another word, and for a moment Sakura had to remind herself that, no, they were not in a daunting cave.

A masculine voice in a nearby room brought the girls back to reality from their own thoughts, and after following the voice they were able to examine the room they were to teach in. Ino and Sakura nervously looked at each other, and after shaking the anxiety from their expressions they walked in to face their old teacher.

Iruka, it turned out, was no exception. He too was nervous, and as soon as the girls entered his room he almost had a breakdown. Without even mustering a 'hello,' he exhaled unsteadily, flailing about and voicing warnings as if the girls intended to destroy the classroom.

"Don't forget to wash the blackboard twice once you're done," he sternly told them. "And don't let anyone leave any trash here. The kids in the academy should know; I tell them that everyday…"

"Now that," Ino muttered as soon as Iruka exited, "is someone I _don't_ miss."

Sakura set her bag on the front desk and scanned the classroom. To think she spent a chunk of her childhood in such a small room, obsessing over grades, and friends, and _him_. She gave a sardonic smile, at the thought of he who would probably never enter the classroom again. She had felt foolish, trying to invite him to the class, but her feelings of imprudence deepened once he snubbed her for Kakashi the other day. It left a bad taste in her mouth, and that was an understatement.

Needless to day, the classroom brought back many mixed memories.

After a moment of scrutinizing the other girl, Ino set her books on the windowsill and sat next to them. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and looked outside of the window as she spoke. "You can be the teacher today."

Sakura jumped at both the sound of the voice and at the other girl's proclamation. She raised and brow and silently scoffed at the unusual comment. "This is a trick," she assumed, "Isn't it?"

"No," Ino shook her head. She turned back to Sakura and gestured towards her friend's large stack of books. "Just do it today and get it out of your system."

Still unused to the echo of their voices, they spoke quietly about the lesson plan. It was an introduction to the class and a few basics that would be gone over. It was when they were looking over old notes, basking in noglastia, when their first student came.

There was no doubt that the first was an enthusiast about the class. She a young kunoichi, about the age of eleven, and her full head of chestnut hair and plump visage full of innocence made it likely that she was an unscathed genin. Only a few minutes passed and a few more people arrived. The students ranged from a few new genins to interested jounins with nothing better to do for the evening.

To Sakura and Ino's relief, a few people they recognized appeared. A curious Hinata, who had no intention of becoming a medical ninja, tentatively walked into the classroom and mustered an enthusiastic expression, just to be polite. Close to the start of the lesson, Naruto loudly entered the room with his young admirer. Sakura gave a small smile to Naruto, but upon seeing the younger boy, she resisted the urge to scream.

"Hi," Konohamaru said to her, a mischievous grin forming.

Swallowing the bubbling anger in her throat, Sakura tried to speak as sweetly to the boy as she could. She didn't want to scare away one of her clients, after all. However, her attempt at a sweet act failed.

"You," she hissed through her teeth, poking him in the chest with her finger. "I don't want to see anything perverted!"

"Naruto made me come," he told her, expression still as boyish and troublesome. He jutted a pudgy finger towards Naruto and grinned. "He said it would make me stronger, but I might just play around."

Sakura scowled, ready to deck the boy, but she instead cleared her throat and ignored him.

"And you?" she asked while placing her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here? Naruto?"

Naruto grinned, his charm rivaling Konohamaru's boyish looks. "'Cause you're teaching it Sakura-chan. So I changed my mind."

Sakura suppressed a smile. "Humph. That works."

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Sakura turned. "It's almost time," Ino whispered to her, a mixture of nervousness and excitement in her voice. "You ready?"

"Of course," Sakura told her, as she examined her class. It wasn't very large, but it would do. _'No Sasuke-kun,'_ she unconsciously thought.

'_Good,'_ she forced herself to think. She forced a laugh as well. Who cares if he didn't come? With the way he treats people, he'd just cause trouble anyway. And, without another thought, Sakura took a deep breath and began.

ooo

Much to the Sakura's surprise, the class was going extremely well. For the first time in her life people were watching from her, learning from her. All eyes were on her and once she had begun speaking all chattering had stopped. She liked this power she had over them, but it was only a matter of time when everything changed.

Sakura was happily lecturing about medical ninjutsu when the door loudly sprung open. She did not turn, as she didn't mind a latecomer on the first day. She continued to speak, unfazed, but soon she heard whispers rising in volume. Ino began to repeatedly tap Sakura on the shoulder.

"Sakura," she anxiously muttered.

"What?" Sakura quietly snapped. "What's wrong with all of you?"

Ino giggled, biting her knuckle. She cocked her head towards the students, but Sakura only gave an irritated look in return. Seeming as she were about to burst, Ino excitedly replied.

"Sasuke-kun is here."

"What?" Sakura asked, dropping her hand from the chalkboard.

"Sasuke-kun is—"

Of course, Sakura already heard Ino. She quickly spun around into the desk, knocking papers onto the ground. Many laughed, but Sakura locked her eyes on what really concerned her. Sasuke. In her class. _Sasuke._

Uchiha Sasuke.

Hands folded in front of his mouth and a stern look on his face, Sasuke focused his dark eyes on one point, although he was aware of everything going on in the classroom. Although it looked ridiculous, his baggy Sound attire perfectly draped over his body, exposing his chest. Girls began to stare. Boys began to scowl. Sakura tried hard not to do both.

She slightly opened her mouth and shook her head, trying to break this dream, this delusion of hers. Whispers still lingered in the air, and frowning at her shock and clumsiness at his arrival, Sakura stood up straight and turned back towards the board. She was not going to let Sasuke intimidate her.

"Ok," she muttered to Ino. "Um…where was I?"

But Ino was not listening. She was too busy staring at the new arrival. Everyone was. Sakura ignored them, but she could not ignore what seemed to be a pair of eyes on her back. She felt invaded, as if he was looking right through her, cooking up more ways he could insult and degrade her.

"This ninjutsu is supposed to protect people's lives," she slowly squeaked, stating the obvious. "And…it was greatly improved during the Great Shinobi War…" she trailed off and sighed as the voices got louder. Finally, she nodded towards Ino in defeat.

"Class dismissed!" Ino immediately cried. "Thanks for coming!"

The students, still staring and whispering, quickly filed out. Ino, covering her mouth, glanced at the boy who hadn't left his seat and giggled. "We'll talk later," she whispered to Sakura, and then she departed.

As she began to pack her materials, Sakura watched her friend depart. Without showing concern, she washed the board once, while trying to ignore the fact that _he_ was still sitting in his seat, staring at her back. After a few minutes she was sick of it, this resolve of his to break her down.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

He confidently spoke. "I came to find Narut—"

"He left."

Sakura folded her arms as she turned from the board and faced the Uchiha. She expected him to be as calm as ever; not even budging at her response, but she couldn't be anymore wrong. Of course, her curt response did not settle well with him: His hands were now on the desk as fists, and his lips were turned downward. He happened to be livid, but it was the slight confusion in his face that startled Sakura the most.

"What's your problem?" he growled. Placid. Caring. _Amiable._ That's what she was yesterday. But today it seemed that someone had abducted Haruno Sakura and the poor man's cheap and rude version was standing before him.

Sakura innocently shrugged. "Nothing."

Sasuke snorted. "Don't speak to me that way."

With a swift movement, he stood up and walked towards his old teammate, shoving his large hands in his pockets. Long bangs covered his menacing eyes, but his size was another thing to watch out for.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "He left," she repeated, annoyed. "Now, it would be wise to find him. Because, y'know…he's not here." _Honestly._ If he was going to snub her yesterday and the whole period before that, he might as well again tonight.

"Hn."

Sakura sighed. "Are you finished? I need to get home."

Sasuke's expression darkened even more at her tone, but he did not proceed to intimidate her anymore. There was something wrong with her—mood swings, sickness, pure annoyance—whatever it was, he didn't want to hear it. Not unless he got the last word.

"No I'm not," he told her. "Stop leaving those shitty flyers at my house."

And without giving her another glance, he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Not yet a second later, Sakura ran her hands through her hair, sighed, and stared at the nothingness before her. She shakily gathered her books and delicately placed them into her bag, reviewing the conversation in her head. Despite the rude comment made on his way out, Sakura felt different. A tad bit defiant. Standing up to Uchiha Sasuke, even if it was the most insignificant thing, felt _really_ good.

After a moment of recovering, Sakura opened the door with just as much force and started for the exit of the building. Iruka could clean his own board the second time, she decided. Not long after exiting the building Ino approached her, bouncing off the balls of her feet.

"I can't believe Sasuke-kun came!" she exclaimed, giggling.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "He interrupted the class."

"Still," Ino grinned, grabbing Sakura's shoulder. "He came to _our_ class. I noticed that you two stayed behind. What was he saying?" Her words fell out all jumbled together, as she let out gasps and giggles.

Sakura gave a mocking laugh. "The usual. He was looking for Naruto and accusing me of leaving the second flyer at his home…that _you_ left on his door, Ino pig-chan!"

"At least it worked," Ino happily responded.

"He's not coming again," Sakura told her.

Despite Ino's cry of 'you said that last time,' Sakura was right. A couple more classes went by and they both did not see Sasuke. For the first few days Sakura was actually glad she wasn't seeing the Uchiha, but later on the feeling became foreign to her. It seemed that their next meeting was inevitable.

"Sakura," Kakashi called her as she walked out of the bookstore one day. He handed her a small box. "This is from Tsunade."

"What is it?" Sakura asked, turning and box around. She traced the edges as she attempted to read the small print on the sides. It was a type of medication, probably for his _condition_ the other day, but something she didn't really need.

"It's for Sasuke."

Frowning, Sakura let her hand fall to her side. "Oh."

"I would try giving it to him myself," Kakashi apologized, "but I'm too busy. You know…" He sheepishly smiled under his mask.

'_Yeah, right,'_ Sakura thought, observing the orange book in his hands.

Reluctantly, Sakura took the usual route to the Uchiha compound. In Sasuke's absence, some believed in shutting down the compound. They believed that he would never return, and sadly, some didn't want him to. Sakura remembered coming to the compound at night in those days, crying at some of the villagers' words. In those days, although she was training under Tsunade, no one was really there to comfort her. Both of her boys, Naruto and Sasuke were gone, and some days she just felt _hopeless_. The thought of the destroyed compound disturbed her, because it would be a sign that Sasuke was gone forever. Fortunately, with Naruto's help, he was back. Safe and sound; living in recluse.

Sighing, Sakura pounded on his door. After the third attempt, she scowled and backed up to peer into his upper window. Unfortunately, it was too dark for her to make out anything. She swallowed a lump in her throat, turning the box over in her hands again. _'If he dies for not taking this it's not my fault,'_ she smugly thought, with a small twinge of longing.

Sakura turned and stared at the fence around the compound. Apparently Uchihas were really private, but she didn't need to see a fence to understand that. Looking to the side she observed the old wood, but upon seeing something in the corner of her eye she did a double take. It was exactly how she expected him to show up.

Sasuke, in all his Uchiha glory, nonchalantly leaned against the fence. He was wearing the same attire he wore on the day he arrived at the class, but he was not as hard on the eyes as before. This was not due to a shower or a washing of the clothes, but due to the fact that his shirt was wrapped around his waist, hugging his baggy pants up along with his belt, the rope. He looked as if he was training, and suddenly Sakura felt bashful for intruding on his half naked self. It was unfortunate that he looked at her as if she was the last person he wanted to see.

"What are you doing here?" he grouchily asked.

Without saying a word, Sakura walked up to the Uchiha and handed him the box. He took the item, read the contents, and looked back at her.

"I don't want this."

"I don't care," Sakura told him, folding her arms. "It's not from me, anyway."

It might have been her imagination, but Sasuke's expression slightly fell. He suddenly created a façade for his previous expression and shoved the box in his pocket.

They stood in silence, staring at each other in rivalry. Sakura examined his eyes while Sasuke disapprovingly scrutinized her whole figure: From her black leather boots to her untamable hairstyle. His eyes stopped once or twice at her skirt and he snorted, shoving his hands into his pocket. Sakura coughed, gathering his attention.

"What are you doing?" she asked, mustering as much curiosity as she could.

He turned from her. "Training."

Sakura looked around, scanning the area for some type of weapon. "Really? Where are your shurikens and—"

"Don't need them."

Sakura frowned. Even with his knowledge of jutsus and general and even with the sharingan, Sasuke always trained with weapons. It was just a given. She looked at his hand in his pocket, the one that started shaking the other day. Opening her mouth slowly, she slowly began to make a connection.

"How's your hand?" she softly asked.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "I just had a few splinters."

"Splinters?"

"I've been practicing taijutsu."

Sakura pondered for a moment, taking his proclamation in. _'Uchiha...," _she thought,_ "…taijutsu?' _It was unthinkable.

Sakura managed to stifle her laugh at the sheer irony, but she almost burst when she saw Sasuke's glower. She cleared her ticklish throat and spoke, for the sake of good conversation with him.

"Okay. So what have you been up to? Me, I've been trying to make my own herbal medicine. A type of jutsu." It was an experiment that wasn't getting anywhere, but he really didn't need to know that.

Sasuke indifferently looked up at her from picking the small wooden splints in his hand. Clearly, he wasn't able to comprehend what she said.

"Sorry," she told him. It would be best to put it into terms he could understand. "I meant, so what have you been up to, _besides antagonizing people_?"

"Why do you care?" he finally replied.

"I've always cared," she whispered to him. "This is nothing new."

His expression was no less hard than before, and he turned his face away as she gazed from him. It was annoying; her stupid eyes and her stupid way of caring for him. He didn't need either of them, so he made sure to turn the tables and sway from the imminent, sweet discussion.

"Aa. So you want to hear what I want to say, instead of cutting me off."

Sakura sighed. Of course one of them had to bring that conversation up.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "You only disrupted my class."

"It's not like you were doing anything important."

Sakura's face contorted, her demeanor quickly shifting to annoyance. "It's supposed to be beneficial," she attempted to calmly tell him, "and supposed to help people…well, help _themselves_ for once. It's useful for ninjas who are constantly on the battlefield."

"It's a waste of potential," Sasuke monotonously told her.

"A waste of potential," Sakura repeated, with a mocking drawl. "Fine. Then next time you want to see Naruto, don't bother sitting through my useless class to wait for him."

She turned from him, shaking her head. Anyway to degrade her, that was his mission. It was nothing new. It would have been useless to say goodbye (Sasuke never did anyway), so Sakura turned to make her exit.

She didn't take notice; however, that Sasuke had stopped what he was doing and regretfully watched her.

"Sakura," he said in a low tone. She immediately stopped in her tracks and looked at her feet. The color in her face had deepened, and he wished it wasn't for the reason he thought it was.

He cleared his throat and walked a bit closer to her, mumbling every syllable in his words. "You…said you were working on a jutsu?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Funny how I have more time to update when I'm back in school. Oh yeah, look on the poll on my profile. I won't be offended if some of you put 'no.' And if I had any typos, please tell me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the long delay! Enjoy. :)

* * *

**Chapter Four**

The next time she wished to get Sasuke's attention, Sakura mentally noted, she would definitely mention creating a jutsu.

In fact, because of her words Sasuke's face transformed from clear vexation to slight curiosity in a matter of seconds. Trying and failing to maintain nonchalance, he took a step towards her, beckoning her to continue.

"Yes," Sakura told him with amusement. "I'm working on a jutsu, Sasuke-kun."

"What is it?" Sasuke briskly asked.

Sakura stifled a giggle. Conversation was being made, and she was beginning to like teasing the Uchiha. "It's a secret," she told him, biting her lip and clasping her hands. "Classified. For medic-nins only."

Slightly bewildered, Sasuke took a step back. "Hn."

Mildly disappointed that he did not even try to obtain more information, Sakura gave a slight pout. However, she realized, it was probably good that he was not interested anymore. Her "secret jutsu" wasn't really successful. _Okay,_ she thought. _I haven't even started it. _It was foolish, but getting Sasuke's full attention was so rare that she had to mention it. She was close to starting her jutsu; all she needed were some ointments, an easy way to figure out to teach grown ninjas medical basics, and flowers. _Lots_ of flowers.

As expected, Sasuke gradually edged away, ignoring Sakura. It was her cue to leave, but, she figured, if she had to walk all the way to his home for the sake of his health then she had _every_ right to talk to him. Part of her felt like a little girl again, trying to speak with Sasuke no matter what. She put her hands on her hips and spoke. "Just because it's a medical jutsu doesn't mean it's not interesting—"

"Creating your own jutsu," Sasuke cut her off. "Takes a lot of work. They're not for fun and games and playing nurse."

Taken aback, Sakura folded her arms and glowered. "Thanks for your support," she bitterly replied.

"You're welcome."

"I'll be going now," Sakura told him. _What a jerk….!_

Looking at her from the corner of his eye, Sasuke frowned. "Hold on," he abruptly commanded. He took a step towards her and grabbed her arm, pulling her a little closer to him. Sakura's eyes widened at his gesture, band without argument she heeded his request. Upon seeing her expression, Sasuke loosened his grip and quickly averted his gaze from her.

"Many jutsus," he tentatively informed her with a more inviting tone, "like those you start from scratch, take a lot of work. Kakashi knows a lot about this."

"I'm sure he does," Sakura slowly replied, raising her eyebrow.

"I modified his chidori," he told her, fixing his gaze on his feet. Sakura watched his apprehension, and it was as if he wasn't sure whether to mention this tidbit of information to her or not. He rarely spoke to her about his techniques or as Naruto would call them, 'cool new moves,' but as an Uchiha, they were a big part of who he was. He spent most of his life training and trying to be the best; hoping to kill his brother and avenge his family. It was one thing for Sasuke to open up, but when he spoke of subject that was a large part of his life, that would give someone an idea of his weaknesses and strengths, it was something else.

"The chidori nagashi was especially difficult to master. You need perfect range, and lots of chakra control to master. It'll be hard to teach other people one of your techniques, if it's anything like that."

"Oh yes," Sakura bitterly smiled. She remembered that technique. In fact, it was what he used to attack her, Naruto, and Sai when they met up with him for the first time in three years. She remembered that jutsu well.

"This jutsu," she told him, "is for me and Ino's class. It's not that serious, Sasuke-kun. Maybe you can be my test subject?" she offered, eying his hand.

Sasuke suddenly balled his fists, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Would you shut up about that?" he growled. "Leave me the hell alone."

"All right," Sakura said, putting her hands up defensively. _Obviously a touchy subject._ "Just thought you wanted to know since you came to my class and all..."

Sasuke looked at her, eyes cold. Everything she said to him usually made things go wrong, but this conversation was inevitable.

"It was only once," he bluntly told her. "I was looking for Naruto."

"Right." Always with the excuses, she presumed. Of course, his search for Naruto probably wasn't an excuse—the spirited, hyperactive ninja was his best friend after all—but she still didn't like being shot down like that.

"Sasuke-kun," she beseeched of him, "tell me the truth. Why did you really come that day? And yes, you told me you were looking for Naruto twice. But had it ever occurred to you that you could have just waited outside if you wanted to talk to him? I know it sounds ridiculous, but there's nothing to be ashamed of if you're interested in what us medics do."

Sasuke looked at her incredulously, snapping his mouth shut. He finally heaved a sigh as he turned to walk away, glared back at her once, and walked away some more.

"It was only one time," he told her, once more. "Stop being so desperate. I have many other things to do than see you." And with that, he entered his house and shut the door.

With his final statement, that was also when _it_ all started. Sasuke did not return to Ino and Sakura's class, but instead suddenly acquired the power of omniscience. Ino was the first to speak of this.

"I see him everywhere we go," she told Sakura one day before class. "But here? Not so much. So much for that, huh Sakura-chan?"

"He's just trying to spite us," Sakura replied. "He'll probably ignore me when team seven meets today. Now, shush! We have to begin." She turned to the class, feigning a bright smile to their audience.

The usual students were present; from the old, retiring ninjas who wanted to learn one last technique until retiring to the young and eager genins who thought they were lucky to get taught by the one who trained under the Hokage. Her former classmates such as Kiba and Shikamaru were present, and Naruto, of course, sat up front.

"Well," Sakura began. "Can anyone remind us of what we did last class? Shousen no Jutsu, am I correct?"

"Where's the Uchiha?" Someone suddenly barked.

"What?" Sakura incredulously blurted out. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the speaker. "Why does it matter? He hasn't been here in a while."

"He's your friend isn't he?" a small girl of about thirteen explained. "We just thought he would be here."

"Well he's not," Ino briskly snapped. She put her hands on her hips. "Damn fangirls," she muttered under her breath, and Sakura rolled her eyes at the irony. "Keep going, Sakura."

Sakura mechanically nodded and started writing on the board. She concentrated, trying to block the words from her mind. _'He's your friend, isn't he…?'_

_Of course he is, _she reassured herself. After writing the objectives on the board, Sakura sat down and watched Ino teach the class. Naruto was scribbling down illegible notes and a few young girls in the back were whispering and giggling. One young man squinted to see the board, but his eyes often settled for Ino's backside instead. _He's just stubborn, that's all._

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto suddenly shouted, raising his hand. "I need help."

Blinking back into reality, Sakura noticed that the class was doing busywork. She walked over to her friend, wringing her hands. "What is it Naruto?"

He pointed to his paper. "What does this mean—?" He suddenly stopped upon seeing his expression, and his brow scrunched with worry. "Hey, Sakura-chan…what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She gave a small smile. "I was just thinking."

"Oh." Taking one more look at her, he bit his lip and put his arm around her. Not too long after he grinned, as he was blessed with an epiphany. "Ah, don't worry Sakura-chan!" he reassured her. "You'll get to teach next time!"

Sakura forced a laugh. "Yeah…"

"Turn in your papers!" Ino suddenly shrieked. "You've had enough time to work on them. After I get them you can go home."

"Finally," Shikamaru muttered. "I can't stand that woman."

"Remember we're meeting with Kakashi and Sasuke and Sai," Naruto said, as he stood, jumbling all of his words together. He handed his paper to Ino, who narrowed her eyes at him.

"Bye Sakura," she said, her nose in the air.

"At Ichiraiku," Naruto continued. "I'll walk you there!"

For the next few minutes, Sakura listened to Naruto chatter on about how great the class was, what he was going to do to beat Sasuke next time he called him an idiot, and of course, ramen. As expected, Sakura playfully shot him down as he spoke, just for old time's sake.

When they arrived, the scene was quite unimpressive. Sai was quietly examining his food, and Sasuke stood nonchalantly to the side, eyes closed and hands in his pockets. Kakashi looked up from his book and waved as Naruto ran in to claim his bowl of ramen. He wasted no time to start eating.

"Whas tha meenin a tis, Kakaashe-sens?" Naruto asked, with his mouth full. He swallowed, and resumed. "We haven't met like this in a long time!"

Setting his book down, Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke. "Sakura has been talking about a project," Kakashi told him, "so I was thinking we could take a small D or C-rank mission to get what she needs."

"A D or C rank mission?" Naruto frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Kakashi-sensei, are you kidding? Those are for genins."

"You are a genin," Sai pointed out. "And Sasuke-kun is too."

"Shut up," Naruto snapped.

"That's it?" Sasuke said.

"Hold on," Kakashi told him, his smile hidden by his mask. "This mission might take us to the Sand village."

"The sand village?" Sakura's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and amusement. She sat up straighter in her stool, as she hadn't learned of anything interesting in a while. It would be nice to see the sand siblings again after all they had been through. "It's been a while since I've been there," she told Kakashi. "Do you think you can get me a map?"

"No," Sai told her.

"We're all going," Kakashi clarified.

In a split second Naruto jumped up in joy, knocking his bowl of ramen to the ground. Sai gave a small smile and Sasuke, unimpressed, looked blankly at Kakashi.

"When are we leaving?" Naruto eagerly asked Kakashi. "Soon?"

"Well, the Hokage still has some things to work out," he replied as he glanced at Sasuke. "Just be patient Naruto; we'll be going eventually."

"Good enough for me," Sakura said, grabbing her bag and nodding at Naruto. In her peripheral vision, she could see Sasuke staring at her. Not wanting to be under scrutiny for too long, Sakura edged out of the stand. "It's been a long day, so I'll see you guys later, okay?"

Without wasting time, Sakura departed from the ramen stand. She sighed as she watched the sun set and wondered why she let Sasuke intimidate her into leaving the stand early. He was just as much as a stupid kid as she was, so why was she afraid? So stupid, she realized, that he, a once S-ranked, missing nin couldn't even sneak up without her noticing.

"What type of plants do they have that we don't have?" she heard him ask her back, not long after she sensed his presence. He was standing a few feet away, but just close enough for her to hear him. "It's amazing," he continued, with a flippant tone, "Kakashi would do anything to get out of the village these days."

"I don't blame him," Sakura softly said. "His team _is_ back together, after all. And I don't know what plants they have there, but I trust Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke said nothing, and she sighed, shaking her head. _And I know you do to._

"These plants you're talking about," she continued, turning to face him. "Where are they?"

Slightly widening his dark eyes at her willingness to follow him, Sasuke hesitated. He apprehensively beckoned towards her. "Just follow me," he muttered.

They walked through the quiet evening, Sasuke always one step ahead of Sakura. It was nothing new to Sakura, but she was surprised when Sasuke stopped every once in a while to see if she was still behind him. When they arrived to their destination, he slightly nudged her, and even in the dark, she knew where she was.

"Your home," she softly said.

Sasuke grunted, and gestured her to the back of his house. They were met with a gate laced with thick vines and thorny vines were on the ground before the gate. Without paying heed to both, Sasuke pushed the gate open and was presented with a small garden.

A large variety of colors covered the ground, and Sakura figured that meant a plethora of flower types were present. Most of the garden was made up of wild flowers and some cherry blossoms. A few daffodils and carnations resided in the middle of the garden, as if they were the centerpiece. The flowers were half dead, but still vibrant enough to be admired and still viable for care.

"They don't look that healthy, but they still have a little life in them," Sakura softly noted. "Someone must have been taking care of them."

"It rains a lot, doesn't it?" Sasuke snapped. "The sun's never out in this damn village."

Smiling to herself, Sakura ignored him and picked up a daffodil. She twirled it around in her finger and looked at him. "These are my favorites," she told him as she smelled the flower. "It really does bring back memories, doesn't it?"

"I don't care if you take some," Sasuke told her, turning from her. He folded his arms, looking into the distance. "They're useless anyway."

Sakura nodded as she crouched down and pulled up some flowers from the roots. She quickly put some in her school bag, hoping to finish her task before sunset was fully complete. When she was content, Sakura stood and wiped her hands on her skirt.

"Thank you for this," she said. She beamed, turning to face him, but by that time he was long gone.

* * *

**Author's Note:** For the first time in a long time I was eager to write another chapter for one of my stories. It was strange being excited to come home to write fanfiction. Oh yeah, and it would be really nice to have reviews to match the amount of hits this fic gets...


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